开云体育

I have been promoting the change-over to the new 30-meters APRS-over-VARA channel for several weeks now.?? I had previously proposed the switch-over for New Years Eve UTC.

However, I am already seeing numerous stations on the new *10.148.200 MHz USB* channel.? And virtually no one on the old 10.147.600 MHz channel.

Should I consider this migration a "done deal" and move the WA8LMF APRS-over-VARA main igate and UI-mapping-webserver infrastructure over to the new channel early?

View of the new 30M APRS-over-VARAchannel as I write this...


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

*30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency Change
Coming 1 Jan 2025.?? Details Here:
<>

- APRS over VARA? --
<>*

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-

Well I went to the website to configure the necessary comm ports for tcp client and Kiss that appears to work since I get received stations. What I am missing and I havent found it as of yet
How do I configure PTT from UI-View or do I need yet another program to handle the PTT using CAT Control to my IC-7300
It works fine for winlink express and vara

Thanks in advance

On 12/25/2024 8:35 AM, Robert Cartier via groups.io wrote:

Ok Need some help here and cant find where to contact Andy

I registered or UIView32 and sent back to the site to get my registration code
However the code fails

Who do I contact to resolve the issue I dont want to re-register again and add more over heard to the DB

Robert Cartier
kd1jg@...

The registration code "magic number" is based on a hash of your call sign and the name you used when registering.?? When you enter your call and name into the UIview setup dialog, they must be *EXACTLY* the same as at registration.

Various forms of a name are not the same;? I.e. "Bob" is not the same as "Robert". ?? All upper case is not the same as mixed case; i.e. "ROBERT" is not the same at "Robert". Etc.

Note that this means that if you change your call sign, or want to allow another ham (family member?) to operate your setup, you will have to submit a request for a new registration for the new name/call combination.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency Change
Coming 1 Jan 2025.?? Details Here:
<>

- APRS over VARA? --
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-

Ok Need some help here and cant find where to contact Andy

I registered or UIView32 and went back to the site to get my registration code
However the code fails

Who do I contact to resolve the issue I dont want to re-register again and add more over heard to the DB

Robert Cartier
kd1jg@...

Ok Need some help here and cant find where to contact Andy

I registered or UIView32 and sent back to the site to get my registration code
However the code fails

Who do I contact to resolve the issue I dont want to re-register again and add more over heard to the DB

Robert Cartier
kd1jg@... <mailto:kd1jg@...>

I have just discovered that during the re-organizing of my website pages focusing on VARA and APRS, that I accidentally screwed up links? and left out some important pages. ?? This included pages on configuring various APRS client applications to work with VARA.? This has now been fixed, I hope!


Main gateway page to VARA-related topics:
<>


Main page for using APRS-over-VARA with various APRS clients
<>


30 Meter APRS-over-VARA Frequency Change
<>


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency Change
Coming 1 Jan 2025.?? Details Here:
<>

- APRS over VARA? --
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-

Experimenting with a new map layout -- comments and feedback requested. ? Screen capture of 30 meters APRS-over-VARA activity on the new *_10.148.200 Mhz USB_* channel as of 3:16 PM Eastern US Time on 22 Dec 2024.

Note that late at night and in the early morning hours, I am copying G4HYG from the UK on this channel nearly every day -- that's why I have expanded the map to stretch across the Atlantic to cover western Europe.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

*30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency Change
Coming 1 Jan 2025.?? Details Here:
???? <

- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-

The migration of 30 meters APRS-over-VARA activity to the new channel of *_10.148.20 MHz USB_*? "dial" frequency seems to be taking off -- even before the announced change-over on New Years eve.? As of 1 PM Eastern Standard time? 22 Dec 2024, this is what I am seeing on my UIview test receiver/igate in central Michigan, USA.

This display and new frequency will replace the current 10.147.600? Mhz? main APRS-over-VARA? UIview igate/mapping-webserver? display at *midnight UTC on New Years Eve*.? (The test setup on the new channel is currently also doing igate duty - the stations on the map below can be seen on findu.com, APRS.fi, etc.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

*30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency Change
Coming 1 Jan 2025.?? Details Here:
<>*

- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-

G4HYG and I have been testing the new APRS-over-VARA channel of *10.148.200 MHz USB* for several weeks now.? Normally, I have been hearing him from northern Scotland, here in central Michigan, USA, when the "grey line" (i.e. terminator line between day and night) is over the Atlantic.

Once the sun rises here in US Eastern time (i.e. a full daylight path across the Atlantic), he fades out - usually around 7:30 - 8:00 US Eastern (1230-1300 UTC).? Today I have been copying him over a full daylight path at 10:30 US Eastern (1530 UTC). ? I normally hear the other station, WB8SKP, nearly 24/7.

Note also that I have decided to use the diamond-overlaid-with-a letter-"V"?? symbol to denote a VARA igate.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

*30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency Change
Coming 1 Jan 2025.?? Details Here:
???? <

- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-

Subject:
30M APRS-over-VARA - Activity Increasing
From:
WA8LMF3 <WA8LMF3@...>
Date:
12/6/2024, 10:27 AM

To:
Stephen Smith <wa8lmf@...>


I am seeing more stations today on the new 30-Meters APRS-over-VARA channel at *_10.148.20 MHz USB_* "dial frequency".? The screen capture below from UIview shows what I was seeing here in central Michigan as of about 09:54 US Eastern (1454 UTC) 6 Dec 24.

Note GM4HYG in northern Scotland in the upper-right corner. The green circle is the radio footprint, on the ground, of the Space station.? KJ4ERJ's hamshack computer system generates the space station object and inserts it into the APRS Internet System? Apparently it is still running on "autopilot" even though KJ4ERJ passed away several days ago.

This is a temporary second 30m APRS-over-VARA? receive/igate setup running at WA8LMF-6? -- until my main VARA APRS receive/igate on the currrent 10.147.60 USB channel moves to this new channel on 1 January 2025.

I'm starting to see stations on the new 30-meters APRS-over-VARA channel already.

I've setup a temporary second radio/computer setup to monitor and igate the new channel? on _*10.148.200 MHz USB*_ "dial frequency" until the main igate switches over on Jan 1st, 2025.

The setup is my TS-2000, an Acer 11.8" "netbook" mini-laptop and a SignaLink USB interface connected to a 40' tuner-fed vertical.

The screencap below shows UIview and VARA running as of 10:50 AM US Eastern Time (15:50 UTC) on 5 Dec 2024.?? Note the narrowed noise bandwidth in the VARA waterfall.? I have set the DSP variable IF of the TS-2000 to 900 Hz - wide enough to pass both the APRS-over-VARA channel and the classic packet APRS channel just below the VARA channel.
??? In this cap, a classic 300-baud AX.25 packet APRS transmission has just been made just below the VARA channel.

About 4 hours earlier this morning, I was seeing G4HYG at the tip of the UK in the far upper-right of this screen.

[Once the switch-over to the new channel becomes complete on Jan 1st, you will be seeing this map on my main 30M VARA APRS webserver.? I suspect that due to VARA's *--VASTLY--* superior performance compared to classic AX.25 packet, we will be seeing far more stations from the other side of the Atlantic.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

Understood

Hello
George Kirn had contact with this data.


On Mon, Dec 2, 2024 at 4:25?PM WA8LMF via groups.io <wa8lmf=
[email protected]> wrote:

Due to frequency overlap with, and interference to/from, the "Robust
Packet"
channels used in Europe, APRS-over-VARA is moving to a new channel ABOVE
the
present AX.25 APRS channel on 30 Meters.

Currently, APRS-over-VARA is operating with a radio "dial frequency" of
10.147.600, placing the center frequency of it's 500-Hz wide RF signal at
10.149.100 MHz.

Starting *January 1st 2025 at 0000 UTC*, the new RF channel center will be
*10.149.700 MHz* . To make the change, set your radio "dial frequency"
to:

*10.148.200 MHz USB*

Until Jan 1st, I will be running the old channel as usual, and ALSO
beaconing
test signals (KJ4ERJ's Space Station Object) every two minuteson the new
channel.


More info is on my web site at:

<>

This page is a gateway page to multiple posts on VARA and APRS-over-VARA
that
have previously been scattered rather haphazardly around my web site.

Click on the link in the yellow box near the top of the page for the
frequency
change info.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype: WA8LMF
EchoLink: Node # 14400 [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA --
<.>

Due to frequency overlap with, and interference to/from, the "Robust Packet" channels used in Europe,? APRS-over-VARA is moving to a new channel ABOVE the present AX.25 APRS channel on 30 Meters.

Currently, APRS-over-VARA is operating with a radio "dial frequency" of 10.147.600, placing the center frequency of it's 500-Hz wide RF signal at 10.149.100 MHz.

Starting *January 1st 2025 at 0000 UTC*, the new RF channel center will be *10.149.700? MHz* .? To make the change, set your radio "dial frequency"? to:

*10.148.200 MHz USB*

Until Jan 1st, I will be running the old channel as usual, and ALSO beaconing test signals (KJ4ERJ's Space Station Object) every two minuteson the new channel.


More info is on my web site at:

<>

This page is a gateway page to multiple posts on VARA and APRS-over-VARA that have previously been scattered rather haphazardly around my web site.

Click on the link in the yellow box near the top of the page for the frequency change info.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

On 11/28/2024 12:31 PM, N9PNO via groups.io wrote:

Hi Steve
Congratulations on all the work you’re doing. I do follow you closely and
find your work most interesting. I want to ask if you know anything about
robust packet?




Hello
George Kirn had contact with this data.

I have played with it briefly.

Robust packet is a higher-performance proprietary replacement for classic HF AX.25 packet created by the German company SCS <> ? It uses 8 OFDM audio subcarriers in a 500 Hz bandwidth. The extensive forward-error correction built-in tremendously reduces the NAKs and retries of conventional AX.25 packet on HF.?? Details are in the attached document *Advanced_Protocol_Robust-Packet.pdf*.

It was first embodied exclusively in their expensive (USD $500 and up) Pactor 4 hardware radio modems. ? Although these were hardware-based devices, internally both modes used DSP audio processing similar to most "digi-modes" used today on computer sound cards.? The SCS Pactor III and 4 modems were and are widely used for the WinLink radio email system by boaters on the high seas.

Neither mode was ever offered as a soundcard app to run on PCs, or licensed to other hardware mfrs. ? Later, SCS offered a lower-cost (around USD $300)? robust-packet-mode-only "TNC" that was a more-or-less direct drop-in for a classic hardware TNC like a TNC-2, Kantronics, etc.? (It could do classic AX.25 packet as well as the vastly-superior robust mode.? This device also had a NMEA GPS input that could originate APRS-format position beacons without external programs. ? This device saw significant uptake among yachters and EMcomms types.

The network you link above is based primarily on this device. The network is almost exclusively in Europe and the UK, and some in Australia/New Zealand.

When SCS discontinued the robust-packet modem hardware in 2020, a Windows soundcard-based version of robust packet was released. Technically a beta program, no full version 1.0 was ever released. ? You can download the final version 0.752 here:

<>

The program presents a KISS-over-IP link that can link to any APRS client program that can use KISS interfaces.? It has a TNC-2-like command language that presents a converse-vs-command mode OR a KISS interface as needed.

There are some similarities between robust packet and VARA. Both are advanced DSP-based digi-modes that are VASTLY superior to classic 300-baud HF AX.25 packet, due to aggressive built-in forward error correction. Both can operate in a 500 Hz bandwidth; i.e. you can run them through a 500-Hz CW receive filter on HF. Both have incredible weak-signal capabilities.
??? --BUT-- VARA is adaptive and can achieve far higher throughput speeds on strong signals.?? With a decent signal, it can achieve data speeds higher than 1200 baud VHF packet in only a 500 Hz bandwidth.? It can increase speed to best 9600-baud VHF packet in a 2300 Hz SSB bandwidth on HF.?? It is now seeing rapid uptake on the WinLink radio email system as an? alternative to the pricey SCS Pactor Modems. (The basic version of VARA is free. The highspeed version is a USD $70 license fee.

I have installed and tried the WinRPR program, monitoring the announced robust packet frequencies on 30 meters here from central Michigan for a couple of weeks. I heard a grand total of 3 stations beaconing in North America and no conversations or traffic. ? Perhaps it's different in Europe or ANZ.???? Even at this early point in uptake, I'm seeing far more traffic on VARA VarAC Chat and on APRS-over-VARA which I have been proselytizing for on 30M APRS for a couple of years now.

I distribute a "Ham Software MegaPack" on 32-GB flash drives at ham fests and radio club meetings.? It includes a folder for Robust Packet. Here is the --ReadMe__ file for that folder:

======================================================

***? This is a compilation of info about "Robust Packet" gleaned from various sparse resources around the Internet.?? ***

"Robust Packet" is an enhanced more error-free packet mode, based on 8 OFDM audio subcarriers in a 500 Hz bandwidth instead of the traditional two-tone AFSK used by classic packet.? Unlike conventional HF packet, robust packet contains built-in forward error correction (FEC). This guarantees a much higher percent of successful receives of packets on the first try in HF noise and multipath. The large number of NAKs and retries experienced with conventional packet on HF is avoided.

Robust Packet is a proprietary "digi mode" traditionally generated exclusively by the very expensive hardware-based SCS Systems PACTOR 4 modems.? These modems were/are widely used for Winlink radio email and APRS tracking by boats on the high seas starting in the early 2000s.?? When SCS discontinued the lower-priced Tracker-1 robust packet TNC, they released a free Windows soundcard "digimode" application that emulates the hardware modem in software.? When linked to external applications such as WinLink radio email or an APRS app, this program "looks like" a TNC2-type hardware TNC to programs, even though the transmitted waveform is completely different.

Note that technically, this is a "beta" application -- YMMV! Program tested and verified to work on Win 7, 8, and 11.


The main repositories of information and software for this mode is the Virginia Packet Network website at:
<>

and

<>

Main published operating frequencies ("dial frequencies")? for robust packet (mainly non-connected APRS) are:
??? 10.147.30 USB? (World-wide)???? (Actually seems to be 10.147.60 , at least in North America... )
????? 3.610.00 USB? (Night)

?????? 7.047.30 USB (Rarely)
???? 14.102.00 USB (Europe heard on this freq)
???? 14.103.50 USB (Nothing heard on this freq)

Virginia Packet Network (robust packet & conventional HF AX.25 packet - mostly connected & BBS operation)
???? 3.598 MHz (dial) USB


NOTES:

You may need to edit the file? "WinRPR_Config.txt"? located in the program's install folder to configure.? Note this is "WinRPR_Config.txt" - not .ini or .cfg !? In the [TNC] paragraph of?? "WinRPR_Config.txt"? you can place numerous TNC2-type commands to be executed at startup.? Or they can be typed into the "Terminal Input" window while the program is running. (The "Terminal Input" window is disabled during KISS operation.)? A list of some of the commands is in the document "WinRPR-TNC-Commands" in this folder.

This modem program links to a packet or APRS program that will use it,? via either a KISS-over-serial port connection,? or a KISS-over-IP interface.? For APRS, the serial port link will be needed for UIview.?? Other APRS applications such as PinPoint, APRS-IS32 or YAAC can use the KISS-over-IP interface.

You will need to install/configure a serial-COM-port bridging tool such as "com0com" or "VSPE" to connect the Robust Packet modem to a real or virtual com port on the external program.??? These tools create a virtual "null modem" (two cross-connected serial ports). In turn, these tools allow two programs that each want to communicate via a serial COM port,? to talk to each other.
??? "VSPE" configured as a "connector" (null modem with the SAME COM number on both ends) works very well -- it can be used wherever other documentation refers to using "com0com" for this purpose, and saves using a second COM number in systems crowded with other COM numbers.

Net result is that you will be dealing with TWO comports, physical or virtual.? One for the KISS data stream if you use serial KISS, and one for the RTS or DTR transmit PTT keying unless you use a tone-activated interface like a SignalLink or WA8LMF's tone-key designs.


Finally, the transmit audio tone level is determined within the program - system-level audio controls in Win 7 and later seem to have no effect on the TX tone level.
??? You need to edit the? "set transmit level" item in "WinRPR_Config.txt" to change it.? Edits are also required to make the chosen audio TX and RX device "stick" between sessions, and to determine the IP ports used.

======================================================


Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

Hi Steve
Congratulations on all the work you’re doing. I do follow you closely and
find your work most interesting. I want to ask if you know anything about
robust packet?




Hello
George Kirn had contact with this data.


On Thu, Nov 28, 2024 at 9:24?AM WA8LMF via groups.io <wa8lmf=
[email protected]> wrote:

Chris Moulding G4HYG (of Cross-Country Wireless and APRS Messenger fame)
and I
have been experimenting with APRS-over-VARA on 30 meters for some time now.

This morning (28 Nov 2024 -Thanksgiving Day in the US), I awoke to this
mapping
display on one of my APRS computer displays. This was received on my
Kenwood
TS-690 and a G5RV-type dipole sloping toward the UK and Europe. Radio is
connected to an Acer "netbook" 11.8" mini-laptop running UIview. The
Space
Station has nothing to do with the contact - it's just tracked on the same
display in real time, and happened to "photo-bomb" the screen cap.

This was screen-capped at 10:00 AM US Eastern Time (1500 UTC 28
November).
Note that the transmission was actually heard about an hour and a half
earlier.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype: WA8LMF
EchoLink: Node # 14400 [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA --
<.>



Chris Moulding G4HYG (of Cross-Country Wireless and APRS Messenger fame)
and I
have been experimenting with APRS-over-VARA on 30 meters for some time now.

This morning (28 Nov 2024 -Thanksgiving Day in the US), I awoke to this
mapping
display on one of my APRS computer displays. This was received on my
Kenwood
TS-690 and a G5RV-type dipole sloping toward the UK and Europe. Radio is
connected to an Acer "netbook" 11.8" mini-laptop running UIview. The
Space
Station has nothing to do with the contact - it's just tracked on the same
display in real time, and happened to "photo-bomb" the screen cap.

This was screen-capped at 10:00 AM US Eastern Time (1500 UTC 28
November).
Note that the transmission was actually heard about an hour and a half
earlier.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype: WA8LMF
EchoLink: Node # 14400 [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA --
<.>

Chris Moulding G4HYG (of Cross-Country Wireless and APRS Messenger fame) and I have been experimenting with APRS-over-VARA on 30 meters for some time now.

This morning (28 Nov 2024 -Thanksgiving Day in the US), I awoke to this mapping display on one of my APRS computer displays. ?? This was received on my Kenwood TS-690 and a G5RV-type dipole sloping toward the UK and Europe.? Radio is connected to an Acer? "netbook" 11.8" mini-laptop running UIview.? The Space Station has nothing to do with the contact - it's just tracked on the same display in real time, and happened to "photo-bomb" the screen cap.

This was screen-capped at 10:00 AM US Eastern Time (1500 UTC 28 November).? Note that the transmission was actually heard about an hour and a half earlier.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>



Chris Moulding G4HYG (of Cross-Country Wireless and APRS Messenger fame) and I have been experimenting with APRS-over-VARA on 30 meters for some time now.

This morning (28 Nov 2024 -Thanksgiving Day in the US), I awoke to this mapping display on one of my APRS computer displays. ?? This was received on my Kenwood TS-690 and a G5RV-type dipole sloping toward the UK and Europe.? Radio is connected to an Acer? "netbook" 11.8" mini-laptop running UIview.? The Space Station has nothing to do with the contact - it's just tracked on the same display in real time, and happened to "photo-bomb" the screen cap.

This was screen-capped at 10:00 AM US Eastern Time (1500 UTC 28 November).? Note that the transmission was actually heard about an hour and a half earlier.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

In October 2024, I made a major road trip from my home QTH in central Michigan to Los Angeles and back.? On this trip, I made the most extensive test yet comparing the performance of classic 300-baud HF AX.25 packet vs the VARA high-performance software modem for 30-meters HF APRS.

I beaconed every 10 minutes, alternately on classic packet and on VARA,? on the 30M APRS channel during the entire 6125 miles (9850 Km) of the roundtrip.? My home station in Haslett (near East Lansing) Michigan received and igated both modes. In addition, several other stations around the US also served as igates for the VARA mode.

The trip again confirmed again the overwhelming superiority of VARA, with it's built-in multiple levels of forward error correction, over classic HF packet. There were many days on the trip where I heard NOTHING in the car on classic packet APRS (lots of solar storms & disturbances), but copied multiple stations (including my own home station) on VARA.

Full details on the trip, the setup and the results here on my website:

<>

and click on the link for

RoadTrip-Oct-2024/index.htm <>

P.S My proselytizing for APRS-over-VARA seems to be catching on -- I am now seeing igates on both coasts and the midwest beaconing regularly on the APRS-over-VARA mode on 30M since the trip!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com

Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

[ 11:00? PM EDT? 6 Oct / 0300 UTC 7 Oct]

I am currently observing a dramatic demonstration of how overwhelmingly superior VARA is? compared to classic AX.25? HF packet. ? At this time, there is a nearly total HF blackout on 30M due to the massive solar CME (coronal mass ejection)

Currently, my APRS mapping webserver for 30M meters 300-baud HF packet APRS is showing no stations at all. (Normally at this time of the evening there would be half a dozen or so stations around the country showing on my map. Receive via UZ7HO Soundmodem software TNC. )

Meanwhile, beacons from WA7GMX-8 in Washington state and WB8SKP-9 in western Kentucky are continuing to be received on 30M APRS-over-VARA, here at my QTH near East Lansing, Michigan.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

Over the period? 8 October 2024 to 26 October 2024, I will be on another extensive road trip, running HF APRS both over classic AX.25 packet, and over VARA.

A friend of mine is flying from Los Angeles to Chicago on the 8th. I will then take her for a fall color tour of northern Michigan, before driving her back to Los Angeles. This will be a long looping itinerary west from Michigan on I-80 to the Mississippi River, then south following the Great River Road (the secondary roads along the banks of the Mississippi) to New Orleans. ? Then west across Texas to northern New Mexico, southern Colorado and Arizona back to Calfornia.?? For anyone wanting to log four states in one transmission, I will be stopping at the "4-Corners" point on the Navajo Nation where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet at one point.

I will be operating HF exclusively on 30 meters this time (no 60 meters tests).? As in the past I will use multiple SSIDs:

? -? WA8LMF (no SSID) is 2M VHF 144.39 and direct-to-Internet cellular data.

? -? WA8LMF-2 is 30M HF conventional 300-baud AX.25 packet APRS

? -? WA8LMF-3 is 30M HF APRS-over-VARA

Because these are full desktop-type APRS installations (3 instances of UIview) running on my newly-commisioned Panasonic CF-53 "Toughbook" mobile laptop in the car, I can receive APRS messages on any of the three modes. As before, the mobile rig is a Yaesu FT-891 running into a 30 -meter Quicksilver Radio "QuickStick" hamstick-type mono-band whip.


My personal APRS ? igate/mapping-webservers will be following my trip at:
<>
(These displays only show what my home station in central Michigan (East Lansing area) is hearing OFF-THE-AIR --? not from the Internet.)

Additionally, my new "RoadTrip Tracker" page at
<>
will provide a series of fixed-scale shaded-relief maps of the trip. The road trip tracker uses a combination of off-the-air reception and the APRS Internet feed.


30 meters normally has a skip zone of 250-300 miles; I.e. my home station in Michigan could never hear anything CLOSER than about Chicago, Cincinnati? or Toronto, Ontario.? Travels anywhere inside Michigan were never heard by my 30M igates when I was the ONLY APRS-over-VARA igate on the air.
??? Now that WA7GMX in the state of Washington, and WB8SKP in western Kentucky now appear to be running full-time APRS-over-VARA igates on 30 meters as well, the HF coverage should be much more consistent everywhere, even inside Michigan, then in the past. ? My trip up north in Michigan should be heard and igated by one or both of these other stations.? (Assuming another solar explosion/geomagnetic storm doesn't wipe out HF entirely!)

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Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
<>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<>

-- APRS over VARA? --
<.>

hello everyone,
i need a map or 2 of the province of Quabec in Canada.
i live in the Eastern Quebec region near Pohenegamook.

i would need a map of a radius of about 125 km around me.

i know the map has 2 files if i recalled well.

i dont need the big map software ,i am using my trackers around that radius and that is enough for me.

if youcan help me i will appreciate at 100%

my email is ve2ckn2 at hotmail.fr


thank you very much for your help
73
gervais,ve2ckn